The family traveled to Nacogdoches, TX this weekend. (That’s pronounced, NAC-UH-DOE-CHEZ). Nacogdoches is home to Stephen F. Austin University, and is the oldest town in Texas. Most importantly though it is where Nana and Papa live. David grew up in this sweet and historic town and I love going there on the weekends. It is filled with antique shops, big trucks and old-style southern hospitality. David and I both miss living in a small town. The comfort of knowing people wherever you go, the luxury of being able to arrive anywhere in 5 minutes or less and the wonderful juxtaposition of simple folk and high art that you can only experience in a town like Nacogdoches. But mainly, we miss having grandparents close by that can babysit our kids for free on a moments notice.

This weekend we rolled into town and discovered that many of David’s high school pals were also in town for the annual Americana Music Festival. We took the kids down to the festival during the day, which proved too loud for Max’s liking and not enough flowers for Lucy. Nana and Papa volunteered for “night-duty” and David and I got to cruise adult-style with his high school pals (all of whom are girls, but we’ll save that for a different conversation). We got to hear some great blue-grass music from “The Gourds” and I made friends with a man named Matt and his box of crawfish. I’ve never eaten crawfish before and I must say that you must be a rather ardent carnivore to delight in this meal. In order to eat a crawfish you must first rip the head off and than “suck” the meat out of the tail. It is a delightful fishy, spicy, cajun combination of tasty goodness – but definitely not for the PETA sympathizer in your life.

Nothing makes you feel like an American more than eating a tiny, spicy, lobster out of a cardboard box sitting on a lawn chair in the middle of a grassy field listening to blue-grass music. Yep, I’m adding that night to my list of scenes I hope to see as I die. What a night!!